Entwined Spirits
by EmberYlva
Summary: It's been two years since Alayne Blackburn had last seen her former lover, Remus Lupin and a year since she left Hogwarts. In that amount of time rumors about her circulated amongst the wizarding community. Can she, with the aid of Remus, clear her name and restore her reputation?


I never thought that I'd be reduced to this after Hogwarts, then again I was left little choice. I slid my makeshift lockpick into the deadbolt of my old flame's house and wiggled it around until I heard a satisfying click. Too easy. Frighteningly easy. I pulled my wand out of from my jeans pocket before carefully pushing the door open.  
"Finite incantatem." I murmured, as a precaution. Better safe than sorry, after all. I cautiously stepped through the threshold, into the kitchen. I closed the door quietly behind me and locked it. I started to feel uneasy due to the simplicity of it all. I whispered "Lumos." Light flooded into the kitchen from the tip of my wand, exposing the sparsely furnished room.  
"It's about time you showed up," a man's voice from across the room said. I tensed before turning to face the entry way into the dining room. He casually sipped from a tea cup and assessed me, almost coldly it felt. "And just so you know, door was unlocked."  
"Remus…how-?"  
"I know you too well, Blackburn." He shook his head sadly. "It was only a matter of time before you decided to…invite yourself in. Now I must ask, why?"  
"I…I guess I figured this would be the best place to stay." I replied as I brushed my hair back and out of my face.  
"You mean hide out. I've read the Prophet, I know what you are…what you did. I could easily let you stay only to turn you over to the Ministry."  
"You won't…."  
"Won't I? I have every reason to turn you in and-"  
"And yet you haven't. In fact, you were expecting me. You could have had them lying in wait for me, but you didn't. Now, it's my turn to ask you why." He sighed and took another sip from his cup. I held back a smirk. I had called his bluff, as per usual.  
"Honestly, I had hoped you wouldn't have been this predictable."  
"How so?" I was slightly taken aback.  
"Well you were pretty obvious when casing my home for the past week."  
"Wait, you knew this whole time that I was around and _still_ didn't inform the Ministry?"  
"Indeed. I suppose you'll want to know why to this action as well?"  
"Well, duh." He looked down at the table.  
"I suppose I wanted the chance to ask you if everything was true."  
"Perhaps you should specify what parts, I mean there are quite a few things floating around now." I leaned against a counter.  
"How about yesterday's Prophet?"  
"Well for starters, I have no reason to kill someone, let alone torture them."  
"Unless 'he' told you to?" Remus cocked an eyebrow.  
"Are you implying-?" I began to say but shook my head. He couldn't possibly even begin to think that.  
"Are you a Death Eater?" Well I guess he could.  
"Awww, Remy…that's house-ist." I teased, a grin playing across my face.  
"Just answer the question, Alayne."  
"You…you do realize that not all Slytherins joined him….right?"  
"Why do you avoid the question…just answer yes or no."  
"I'm not a Death Eater, Remus…." He closed his eyes and rested his chin on his hands.  
"Why should I believe you?" Ouch. Just ouch. That seriously couldn't have hurt more unless he followed it with a direct hit to my face.  
"I have never lied to you in the past." He smiled sadly.  
"Times have changed, Alayne. You know that. Besides, I can't risk letting you stay here. It's far too dangerous."  
"You believe me?" I asked hopefully. He shook his head.  
"I honestly can't tell you if I do or not. I wish I could blindly believe your words, however with things as they are…with all of the evidence against you…I can't." He paused. "Does Sirius know?"  
"Like I've even had the chance to contact him."  
"You should. He'd likely be of more help than I." I frowned. Of course he'd try to send me to my cousin. I mean, it would make sense that family would be the first place to go for instant believability. That was the problem to begin with.  
"Remus, this is the last place anyone would even think to look. I mean, we haven't spoken in two years."  
"It's still too dangerous."  
"How is it dangerous? Just…tell me."  
"It just is."  
"You do realize that some things haven't changed, right?"  
"Elaborate?"  
"I'm just going to keep pushing until you finally cave. Why not skip the needless circle talking and just let me stay…. If only for a week."  
"One night."  
"Five days."  
"Three."  
"Deal."


End file.
